Infant incubator



June 13, 1933. POLL, 5 1,914,288

NNNNNNNNNNNNN I II June 13, 1933.

G. POLL, SR

INFANT INCUBATOR INVENTOR @601 6 f0 WITNESSES Z 9710 /Wf ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES GEORGE ronL, $3., on NEW YORK, N. Y.

INFANT INCUBA'IOR I Application filed May 19, 1930. Serial No. 453,806.

This invention relates to an infant incubator for cradling and nurturing an infant from birth until a time when it reaches an age where such a device is no longer required, the device being designed for normal as well as premature or marasmic infants.

The invention broadly aims to provide an improved portable infant incubator including a casing or housing having an open upper and circulating air through the casing or housing and around and over the crib or receptacle to maintain the air supplied to the infant at'the proper temperature and in the proper condition, and this without insulating the infant from the natural environment with which it must be later surrounded.

The invention further resides in the provision of means for supporting the crib in a horizontal position or limited various tilted positions, with which supporting means the crib is detachably associated to permit of its complete removal from the casing or housing when desired.

The invention further comprehends in an infant incubator, means for heatingand controlling the temperature, together with means for regulating the circulation of air therethrough, in addition to means for humidifying the air to replace the natural moisture dispelled by the heating of the air.

Other objects of the invention reside in the provision of an improved incubator for infants which is comparatively simple in its construction and mode of use, inexpensive'to produce and maintain and which is highly efficient in its purpose.

With the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which there are exhibited several examples or embodiments of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope of the same;

In the drawings: c Figure 1 is a perspective view of an infant incubator constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view therethrough taken approximately on the line indicated at 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional viewtaken approximatelyon'the line indicated at lt in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan View on a reduced scale illustrating a modified form of the crib supporting and tilting means. I

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view therethrough taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the incubator includes a casing or housing which is designated generally by the reference character A, and which casing or housing includes a bottom wall 10 having marginal upstanding side and end walls 11 and 12, the top or upper end of the casing or housing A being open. The casing or housing is supported in any suitable manner and, as illustrated, the supporting means consists of depending corner legs 13 which are preferably'provided with castors 14 to render the incubator portable. A crib, basket or other receptacle for the infant is designated generally by the reference character B, and the same is supported within the upper open end of the casing or housing A in spaced relation to the side and end walls. Preferably, the crib or basket is removably mounted on a' tiltable supporting frame designated general- V ly by the reference character 0, the center cross rail 16 of which is connected by a hinge 17 to across bar.l8, the opposite ends 19 of which cross bar are riveted or otherwise at tached to the opposite side walls 11 of the casing or housing A. The end rails 20 of the frame C are provided with hooks 21 which are designed to engage with the endmost cross bars "23 of'the crib or basket structure B, whereby the crib or basket is detachably associated with the frame. In order to permit of limited tilting of the frame C while at the same time making provision forsecuring the frame in its variously tilted positions or in a horizontal position, one of the end rails 20 of the frame is pivotally connected as at 24:. to a depending link 25provided'with a longitudinal slot 26. A cross rod 27 extends through the slot 26 of the link 25, and said cross rod also extends through an opening or aperture 28 in one of the side walls 11 of the casing or housing A, with a headed end 29 disposed exteriorly of the side wall. The opposite end 30 of the rod 27 is threaded and protrudes through an opening or aperture 31 in the opposite side wall and receives thereover a washer 32 and a nut 33 having an in teriorly threaded bore 34 and radially projecting manipulating handles 35. Washers 36 are disposed on opposite sides of the link and are positioned on the cross rod 27, While sleeves 37 are positioned on the rod 27 and interposed between each washer and the inner surface of the side walls 11 respectively. Theupper end of the slot 26 in the link 25 terminates at a point where it will engage with-the rod 27 when the frame C is in a horizontal position. It will also be observed that the hinged connection 17 between the frame and the cross bar 18 is disposed at one side of the longitudinal center of the frame, preferably the'side nearest to which the link 25 is attached.

Fromthe construction of the supporting frame and its mounting, it will be apparent that the frame with the basket or crib carried thereby may be variously tilted from its horizontal. position and locked or main tained in the horizontal or tilted position by tightening up the nut 33 on the threaded end of the rod 27, thereby exerting an end thrust on the sleeves 37 to cause the same to be frictionally clamped respectively between the opposite sidewalls 11 and the washers 36 disposed on the opposite sides of the link 25. It will also be observed that the crib or basket B may be readily detached and removed by shifting the same longitudinally so that the endmost cross bars 23 of the crib or basket structure are disengaged from the hooks 21.

In order to' provide means for admitting air to the interior of the casing or housing A and to promote and regulate the circulation of the air therethrough and upwardly around and over the crib or basket 13, vent openings 40 are formed in the bottom wall 10 of the casing or housing, and the opening and closing of the vent openings is controlled and regulated by means of slidable plates 41 formed with corresponding apertures 42, said plates being mounted in guides 43 on the under side of the bottom wall 10 and depending handles 44 being attached to the plates for effecting the shifting movement thereof.

Suitable heating means is provided within the lower end of the casing or housing A, such as a set or battery of carbon incandescent lamps 45 which are shown as arranged in sockets 46 supported by the bottom wall 10.

The control of the heat within the casing or housing A is accomplished by means of a multiple switch 47 by virtue of which two,

four or six of the lamps 45 may be selectively lighted.

In order to insulate the lower part of the casing or housing A and at the same time provide a space 48 through which the wiring 49 leading to the lamps and switch 47 may be arranged, an inner marginal wall 50 is spaced from the side and end walls 11 and 12 by an upper outwardly projecting marginal flange 51, the said inner marginal wall 50 being of a height to extendfrom the bottom wall 10 to a point approximately halfway up the casing or housing side and end walls. This defineswhat may be termed the dead air space48, while the flange 51 presents a shoulder within the casing or housing A.

Suitablehumidifying means D is also provided for supplying the desired moisture to the heated air circulated through the casing or housing, and said humidifying. means is in the nature of a. liquid receptacle or tray 55 which is removably supported by a cradle designated. generally by the v reference character E, andwhich cradleconsists of a rectangular frame 56 of. angle constructionin cross section attached to end cross straps 57, the upwardly extending opposite ends 58 of which are provided with outturned terminals or extremities 59 which are designed to rest upon the shoulders defined by the outturned flanges 51. of the, inner marginal wall 50. Preferably, the, flanges will be formed with upwardly projecting lugs 60 to maintainthe cradle against longitudinalsliding movement and to cause the positioning of the cradle and the humidifying tray directly over the heat ing lamps 45 so that the heat from said lamps will function to cause evaporation of the water or other liquid in the tray 55 for admixture with the air circulated through the casing or housing. In order to provide means for gainingfaccess. to the casing for removing and replacing the humidifying receptacle without, disturbing the infants crib or, basket, adoorway is provided in one of the side walls 1 1, and saiddoorway is normally closed by adoor which is hinged as at 6.6 to the side Wall and which is provided wth a suitable latch mechauismfii for maintaining the same. in closed condition. Preferably, the door. is formed with a glass or other transparentpanel 68 through which the lighted condition of the heating lamps may be observed, without the necessity of opening the door.

Inorder to gauge the temperature within the casing or housing A, asupport 70 for a thermometer/71. is secured to, the. inner side of one of the end walls 12, and a window opening 72 covered. with a transparent panel 7 3. is provided in the end wall in alignment with the thermometer support. I The, casing, housing or cabinet A may be provided w-ith a hand rail 74adj acentgthe upper end of one wall, while a chart rack 75may also be supported by one of the end walls 12 to removably receive a chart adapted to bear various be plugged into a convenient outlet for sup-' plying current to the heating lamps.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, a slight modification of the mounting for the basket or crib supporting frame C is disclosed. In this instance, the frame C is directly attached to a cross tube or sleeve 80 which is approximately of a length equal to the normal spacing of the side walls 81 of the easing, housing or cabinet A. A cross rod 82 having a head 83 at one end extends through the side walls 81 and has its threaded end 84 provided with a nut by virtue of which the side walls 81 may be flexed inwardly and frictionally clamped against the opposite ends of the cross tube or sleeve 80. In order to provide a rest for the frame C to sit against when in its normal horizontal position, an inwardly projecting lug or bracket 85 is attached to one end Wall, and said lug or bracket 85 is apertured as at 86 to receive there through an arcuate depending guide rod 87 having an offset terminal 88 which is designed to engage with the under side of the lug or bracket 85 to positively limit the tilting of the frame C beyond a predetermined degree.

What is claimed is:

1. In an infant incubator, a casing or cabinet having an open upper end, a bottom wall and upstanding flexible side and end walls and means for supporting an infants crib or container within said open upper end of the casing in spaced relation to the side walls consisting of a tilt-able frame and means for flex:

ing the side walls of the cabinet to frictionally hold the crib supportin frame in its horizontal er variously tilted positions, said latter means consisting of a slotted link pivotally attached to and depending from the frame, a cross rod having a head at one end and extending through the side walls and through the slot of said link, sleeves interposed between the opposite sides of the slotted link and the inner sides of the side walls of the cabinet and surrounding the cross rod and means at the other end of the cross rod for manually exerting an axial thrust on the cross 7 rod to cause the side walls to be flexed for advancing the sleeves and frictionally gripping the slotted link between said sleeves.

2. In an infant incubator, a casing or cabinet, a supporting frame for an infants crib or container, a bar. extending transversely across said casing and a connection between the said bar and the said frame between the ends of said frame and in closer relation'to one end whereby to permit of and cause said frame, when unrestrained, to normally move gravitationally from a horizontal position and means for limiting the movement of the frame to a predetermined tilted position and a horizontal position respectively, said means including a slotted member fulcrumed to and depending from the frame and a transverse stationary rod extending through said slotted member, means carried by said transverse stationary rod, for clampingly engaging said slotted member to hold the frame in its variously tilted positions and an exteriorly disposed device engaging said rod and axially movable thereon for effecting the movement of the latter means to set up said clamping engagement.

3. In an infant incubator, a casing including upstanding walls, at least one of which is flexible, a crib supported within said casing for movement from a horizontal position to a limited tilted position, means for frictionally holding said crib in its horizontal or variously tilted positions including as a part thereof, a portion of said flexible wall, said means further including a tubular element within the casing against which said wall is frictionally forced, a member extending through the tubular element and flexible wall and protruding from the casing and a device operatively engaging said protruding portion and the flexible wall respectively for flexing said wall to frictionally force the same against I the tubular element.

4. In an infant incubator, a casing including upstanding walls, at least one of which is flexible, a crib supported within said casing for movement from a horizontal position to a limited tilted position, means for frictionally holding said crib in its horizontal or variously tilted positions including as a part thereof, a portion of said flexible wall, said means further including a tubular element within the casing against which said wall is frictionally forced, a rod extending through the tubular element and flexible wall and protruding from the casing, said protruding portion being threaded and a nut engaging said protruding portion and the flexible wall respectively for flexing said wall to frictionally force the same against the tubular element.

GEORGE POLL, SR. 

